


Only When We're Drinking

by Maluminspace, mermaidcashton



Series: Why Don't We Just Pretend? [1]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), 5SOS
Genre: Alcohol, Casual Sex, Gay Sex, M/M, Sex, Strong Language, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2018-12-27 01:07:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12070620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maluminspace/pseuds/Maluminspace, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mermaidcashton/pseuds/mermaidcashton
Summary: It's all down to the alcohol of course... The fact that Ashton hadn't gotten laid for a few weeks, without a doubt, contributed to the sudden need for physical contact. He's just drunk and horny and so is Michael. Simple. Besides, this wouldn't be the first time they'd used each other to get off. Ashton's mind is already racing ahead, imagining Michael's perfect lips wrapped around his dick or caught around delicious moans as they fuck. He feels a familiar tug in the pit of his stomach as he allows his lips to inch ever so slightly closer to Michael's. He doesn't close the gap all the way, he won't until Michael admits he wants this.OrMichael is Ashton's fuck buddy. Casual. They're just two guys that help each other get off when they find themselves in a dry spell. Everything's fine.





	Only When We're Drinking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marriedmalum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marriedmalum/gifts).



> Title from 'Lies' by Marina and the Diamonds

"The party's over, Michael..." Ashton states plainly, flopping onto the sofa and picking up the beer he'd abandoned in order to throw out the last of his guests. "Why didn't you leave with Calum and Luke? You could have shared a cab."

Michael shakes his head rather more violently than necessary, in Ashton’s opinion. “And watch them make out the whole way home? No thanks!" Michael replies, scrunching up his face as though the very thought of sharing a cab with the loved up couple makes him feel a little sick. Ashton can relate to that but he chooses not to respond. He simply watches his friend push himself clumsily from his chair and amble across the messy living room, just about avoiding the couple of empty beer bottles and the red plastic cup laying haphazardly near the coffee table. It's all too obvious that Michael's drunk. It's clear from the unsteady way he's moving towards the sofa and the slight slur to his words as he breaks the silence that Ashton has deliberately allowed to linger. "Besides...I thought you might need a hand tidying up."

Ashton scoffs before taking a long swig of his beer, pretending not to notice how close Michael chooses to sit next him. Ashton's not at his soberest either and he'll be sure to blame his drunken state for what's inevitably about to happen. "You know full well this won't get tidied until up until tomorrow." He says quietly, turning to fix Michael with a meaningful look. Michael stares back silently, his bottom lip is caught between his teeth as he allows his eyes to drop to Ashton's lips. The tiny gesture confirms that Michael's on the same page but as always Ashton needs to hear it. "Why'd you really stay?"

Michael drops his gaze and his cheeks redden slightly in a blush as he gives a small, non committal shrug.

Ashton reaches past the younger man to place his now empty beer bottle on the table at the end of the sofa. He deliberately moves his face as close as he can to Michael's without touching it and revels in the way that he shudders slightly at the feel of Ashton's breath on his skin. He catches Michael's chin between his thumb and forefinger to lift the other's face until his green eyes finally meet Ashton's. In the dim light from the one lamp in the corner of the room, Michael looks irresistible. His blonde hair is tousled and the front of it is visibly damp with sweat. His pretty green eyes become somehow simultaneously intense and unfocused as though his mind is racing with the same smutty thoughts as Ashton's.

It's all down to the alcohol of course... The fact that Ashton hadn't gotten laid for a few weeks, without a doubt, contributed to the sudden need for physical contact. He's just drunk and horny and so is Michael. Simple. Besides, this wouldn't be the first time they'd used each other to get off. Ashton's mind is already racing ahead, imagining Michael's perfect lips wrapped around his dick or caught around delicious moans as they fuck. He feels a familiar tug in the pit of his stomach as he allows his lips to inch ever so slightly closer to Michael's. He doesn't close the gap all the way; he won't until Michael admits he wants this.

"I think you know, Ash..." Michael whispers. His pupils are wider than they were a minute ago and his breath is already escaping him in heavy puffs as he tries to close the gap between his own lips and Ashton's.

Ashton tightens his grip on Michael's chin and pulls back a little. "I need to hear you say it, Mike." He insists. Michael closes his eyes and lets out a tiny moan as though Ashton's words have further intensified his longing for the older man. "Ash," he whispers "I want you..."

Ashton smiles triumphantly; he's always loved the feeling of power he gets from someone admitting they want him to fuck them. With Michael though, that feeling is always a hundred times sweeter. Maybe it's something to do with the way that he instantly surrenders control, or the way he melts into Ashton's kisses as though he needs them more than anything else in the world. Sometimes, in moments like this, Ashton has to remind himself that Michael's just a hook up. This only ever happens when they're both drunk and have been deprived of sex for a while. It's just a casual thing, two guys helping each other out when they need it. He mentally shakes himself to rid his head of that and every other thought from his mind as he finally leans forward to press his lips against Michael's.

Michael, as always, instantly parts his lips to allow Ashton's tongue the access it needs. His hands instinctively reach for Ashton's hair and his fingers are soon tangled in the sandy curls, tugging lightly just the way Ashton loves. He lets a groan escape his lips and that's all Michael needs to gain the confidence to slide into Ashton's lap, straddling his thighs before continuing the kiss.

Ashton's hands find Michael's hips almost instantly. Michael moans at the touch and Ashton smiles into the kiss. "You're pretty desperate, huh?" He asks, his voice barely even a whisper and yet still managing to sound smug.

"Fuck off!" Michael groans into the kiss but he shows no sign of wanting to stop. In fact, he grinds his hips down to create a little friction on both of their hardening dicks.

"I think you meant to say 'me' instead of 'off'..." Ashton smirks, teasingly. "Why don't you try again?" He adds a questioning hum to the end of the sentence as he tilts his head, hoping to ignite a fire big enough in Michael to make the blonde desperate enough to say how much needs Ashton right now.

Michael slaps Ashton's shoulder lightly. "I'm not gonna beg you." He says quietly. "You either want me or you don't..."

They've played this game before and Ashton would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the chase. He smirks as he catches Michael's wrists in a firm hold. The expression of mild surprise on Michael's face makes the moment even more delicious.

Despite the fact that his brain is fuzzy from the all of the beer and vodka he'd consumed over the last few hours, Ashton has a definite plan on how he wants the rest of the night to play out, and he knows just how to make sure he gets what he wants. He and Michael have done this enough times for Ashton to know the big do's and dont's when it comes to turning on his needy friend. In one fluid movement Ashton flips Michael sideways on to the sofa and smoothly lands on top of him, pinning his wrists to the cushion beneath him.

Michael lets out a startled gasp and bites down on his bottom lip again. He tests Ashton's grip by wriggling his wrists slightly, groaning lustfully when he's barely able to move them. Ashton capitalises on Michael's aroused daze by grinding his hips down, retaliating for Michael's earlier teasing. "Fuck, Ash!" Michael moans, raising his hips to meet Ashton's in a desperate thrust.

"Are you sure you don't want to change your mind about that begging?" Ashton teases, deliberately keeping his lips just out of Michael's reach.

Michael struggles beneath him, lifting his head as far as he can from the sofa to try and connect a kiss. He whimpers slightly in frustration when Ashton refuses to give in. "Stop teasing..." he whines, blindly raising his hips in search of friction, which Ashton decisively denies.

"You're gonna have to ask a little nicer than that." Ashton tuts, holding Michael's eye contact as steadily as he can.

"Ash..." Michael whines, turning his head to one side, apparently unable to take the frustration caused by Ashton's intense gaze and his just out of reach lips.

"You only have to say one little word, Michael..." Ashton whispers, lowering his face so that his breath ghosts over the newly exposed, slightly sweaty skin of Michael's neck.

"Not gonna beg you..." Michael insists, although Ashton is sure the younger man's resolve is weakening. His tone isn't as decisive anymore and his breathing has quickened into short little gasps that Ashton's dying to swallow.

Ashton allows his lips to graze Michael's neck, hoping that will be his tipping point. The gasp it pulls from Michael is a good indicator that Ashton's right but he knows how to seal the deal. "C'mon, Michael... one tiny word and I'll fuck you." 

Michael twists his wrists slightly in Ashton's tight hold and groans again at the feeling of being dominated. Ashton can tell by the pink tinge appearing in Michael's cheeks and the way he's arching his back in a needy attempt for bodily contact that he is getting frustrated. "Fuck!" Michael whines.

Ashton holds firm in his denial, using his knees and his grip on Michael's wrists as leverage to keep the rest of his body just out of the blonde's touching distance.  
"Last chance..." Ashton smirks. He can almost taste the sweat on Michael's skin and he's starting to crave it. He allows himself the tiniest taste, flicking out his tongue so that the tip all but grazes a spot of Michael's neck, eliciting a delicious whimper that signals Ashton's victory. "Fuck, Ashton! Please!" Michael whines.

Michael's voice is barely above a whisper but Ashton's horny brain tells him it enough. He gives into his urges and dips his head to suck on Michael's neck. He lets his hips drop too and allows Michael to grind against his thigh a couple of times. Michael gasps brokenly at the much needed friction but Ashton limits his access; this isn't how he wants to come, and he knows that a fumble on the sofa isn't what Michael had in mind either. He summons all of the self control he can muster and pushes himself off of Michael and the sofa in one go.

Michael pouts at the loss of contact and glares at Ashton questioningly. Ashton steadies himself before crossing his open plan living room, heading towards his bedroom door without a backward glance. He stops briefly at the door to ask a question he already knows the answer to. "Well, are you coming or not?" Ashton smirks to himself. He doesn't wait for a reply, pushing the bedroom door open and disappearing from Michael's view.

Ashton takes off his belt and shoes en-route to the bed, unbuttoning his skinny jeans and yanking his shirt off in one fluid movement when he reaches it. A moment later the light in the living room goes out, leaving the bedroom filled with dim, milky moonlight.

The soft squeaking of Michael's converse on the wooden floor gradually grows louder until the click of the door closing signals his arrival. Ashton still refuses to look up, knowing that Michael's neediness will grow to a delicious level if he can control his urges for just a little longer. Ashton's alcohol-fuzzed brain tells him there is another, underlying reason why he mustn't look up. It's something to do with the way that he knows Michael will look in this soft light, but he doesn't want to delve further into that thought. Michael is just a hook up... He distracts himself by sliding off his jeans and throwing them into the corner to join his shirt.

A moment of quiet shuffling which is undoubtedly Michael taking off his shoes gives way to a tense silence. Ashton can almost feel Michael's eyes on him. He is obviously awaiting an invitation to the bed but Ashton kinda loves the feeling of power he has right now. Ashton finally lifts his gaze and tries not to pay attention to the way his heart rate picks up at the sight in front of him. The dim moonlight only serves to make Michael somehow paler and more beautiful. It's only because Ashton's horny; he'd feel the same regardless of who was standing there, his dick is just in need of attention and it knows Michael's good at that. Ashton lets the memories of his past dalliances with the blonde take over his thoughts as he breaks the silence. "Get over here, then." Ashton demands quietly, determinedly holding Michael's gaze.

Michael obeys immediately after taking off his shirt and dropping it to the ground. He comes to a stop in front of Ashton, bracketing the older man's knees with his own as he places his hands on Ashton's shoulders. Michael remains silent but allows his eyes to drift closed as he lowers his face for a kiss. Before Ashton allows the kiss, he pulls his hips down roughly so that Michael lands in his lap. It's a clear indication of what Ashton wants and as always, Michael doesn't disappoint. He grinds down roughly as he connects their lips in a heated kiss. Ashton bucks his hips to meet Michael's just as fast and it pulls a desperate whine from Michael. Ashton allows a hungry growl to escape his own lips, swept up in the moment, until he remembers one of their primary rules; keep kissing to a minimum. They'd agreed that kissing can become sappy and romantic quickly, and they only need to use it a means to get hard -that's all. The last thing he needs is for either of them to catch feelings.

Ashton summons all of his self control and shakes his head as a way to stop the kiss. He drops his hands to tug at the waistband of Michael's jeans. "Get these off." Ashton whispers, trying to keep his voice strong and domineering the way he knows that Michael likes. A soft moan escapes Michael as he stands up shakily and begins to fiddle clumsily with the button of his jeans. Ashton half thinks that he's is doing it on purpose, as though he wants Ashton to lose his patience and remove the jeans himself. Ashton's not falling for it though; he simply leans back on his elbows, hoping the sight of his dick straining in his boxers will be enough of an incentive for Michael to hurry along.

It works perfectly. Michael licks his lips hungrily as he pulls down his jeans and boxers in one deliberate movement. Ashton’s breath catches in his throat; his traitorous brain tells him that naked Michael is probably his favourite sight, especially when he's already hard. He's obviously been just as sex deprived as Ashton has recently. Michael kicks his discarded clothing to one side before leaning down over Ashton. He hovers over his nearly naked body, his face mere millimetres from Ashton's hard cock. 

Michael timidly grips at the waistband of Ashton's boxers. "Can I?" He asks quietly, looking up at Ashton with pleading eyes.  
Ashton's tempted to give him a nod but he knows that given their drunken state and how late it is, that they'll most likely only get to cum once. As amazing as Michael's mouth is, Ashton wants to fuck and he reasons with himself that he's definitely waited long enough. He somehow summons enough will power to shake his head. Michael pouts, his bottom lip jutting out in such a cute way that Ashton finds it hard to keep his resolve. "Don't give me that look, Clifford!" Ashton croaks, trying to hide his weakness with a smirk. "Don't you want me to fuck you?"

The pout drops rapidly from Michael's face as he nods enthusiastically, clambering onto the bed. Ashton grins to himself as he rids himself of his underwear before leaning over to his bedside table. He opens the drawer and shuffles around in the clutter until his fingers find one of the condoms and the bottle of lube he always keeps in there. When Ashton pulls out his supplies, he turns to face his friend and finds it hard not to let out another aroused growl. Michael is propped up on his elbows and knees, his face angled back to watch Ashton climb fully onto the bed. Ashton is so busy trying not to growl, a longing groan slips easily from his lips instead. Michael seems to beam in response and bites his bottom lip in anticipation of Ashton's touch. As Ashton kneels behind Michael and pops open the lid of the lube he rakes his eyes over the expanse of the younger man's pale back, ass and thighs. It takes all of the self control he has not to whisper the forbidden words that are perched on the edge of his tongue, although it swims in his mind on endless loop; _'so beautiful, so perfect, all mine'_. 

“Ash!” Michael whines impatiently when Ashton remains motionless for a beat too long. “Are you gonna...” the blondes voice breaks off with a soft whimper as Ashton spreads Michael’s cheeks and squeezes a few drops of lube onto his exposed hole. Ashton grins at the effect this has on his desperate friend. He rubs more lube over three of his fingers and gently presses the tip of his index finger against Michael’s hole. “You ready?” He asks, kneading one of Michael’s ass cheeks with his free hand.

Michael pushes back eagerly onto Ashton’s finger and lets out a tiny ‘unh’ sound which fills Ashton with an already ravenous need for more. He pushes his first finger all the way in, revelling in the longer moan that it pulls from Michael. “That feel good?” Ashton asks teasingly, twisting his finger slowly before pulling it back a little. “Yes!” Michael whines needily. “Hurry up Ash...need you...” The plea makes Ashton’s dick twitch. Despite his love of teasing, Ashton can’t resist that breathy little request. He pushes his finger back into Michael harder, pulling another delicious moan from the younger man. Ashton speeds up his movements until Michael gasps out “more...please, Ash!” 

“Wow, you’re desperate huh?” Ashton smirks lazily. “How long has it been?” Michael shoots a glare over his shoulder at Ashton. “What’s that got to do with y...” he begins but Ashton takes more than a little pleasure in cutting him off by adding a second finger to Michael’s hole and watching that disgruntled expression melt off of his face entirely. “Mmmm, Ash!” He gasps, pushing back against Ashton’s hand.

Ashton grins to himself as he quickly moves his fingers to open Michael up without being too rough. The little gasps that Michael’s letting out makes Ashton’s cock ache for contact. He subconsciously speeds up his fingers until he can comfortably add a third. As soon as the third digit is added Michael’s gasps morph into throaty moans. Ashton’s need to fuck the blonde doubles and he finds it hard to control the movement of his fingers, quickening his thrusts until Michael’s arms shake and he gasps out his most desperate plea yet. “Please, Ash,” he moans “Fuck me...please...” His earlier reservations about begging, apparently long forgotten.

A moan escapes Ashton’s throat as he squeezes Michael’s ass cheek one last time before tearing open the condom packet. He fumbles a little, his slow reactions struggling to keep up with the demand of his hormones. When he’s finally wrestled the damn thing open, Ashton positions himself behind Michael. His cock is aching for the younger man but something starts to bug Ashton; a weird, unsettled feeling bubbles in his stomach that has nothing to do with all of the alcohol he’s consumed. It only takes him a moment to figure out what the feeling is, but identifying it just increases his uneasiness. The realisation that he wants to see Michael’s face as they fuck is not something he wants to dwell on but he can’t ignore it. 

Michael makes an impatient whining noise when Ashton hesitates for a long moment. Ashton decides that it’s just the alcohol making him clingy and he doesn’t need to delve further into the meaning behind his urge. He makes the snap decision to give his inner self what it wants and he grips one of Michael’s hips firmly before flipping him into his back.

Michael stares up at Ashton with a startled expression as he spreads Michael’s thighs and positions himself between them. Ashton can’t blame Michael for being surprised by his actions; he’d only ever fucked him from behind before, whether it be in bed, against a wall or over a table. They’d never, ever done it face to face. That’s why the sudden need to see Michael’s face is so significant to Ashton, but he refuses to think any more about it. However, the shock on Michael’s face makes him panic a little. Although they’d never spoken about why they never looked each other in the eye during sex before, Ashton had always assumed it was to make it easier for the both of them to imagine the person they actually wanted to be with. It’s in that moment that Ashton realises that he hasn’t thought about anyone else during his drunken hook-ups with Michael for a long time, and on top of that, that the blonde nearly always has the starring role in his fantasies when he’s been jerking off recently.

Ignoring the dizzy feeling his realisations give him, Ashton pushes all of the questions and concerns out of his mind. He is about to apologise and ask Michael to resume his previous position when Michael reaches up to place a hand on Ashton’s cheek. It’s an all too fond and overly romantic gesture but Ashton refuses to dwell on that, either. The small touch is all that Ashton needs. He lifts Michael’s hips and lines himself up before slowly pushing in. He is immediately captivated by the blissed out expression that takes over Michael’s face and the long, soft gasp that drifts from his lips. Against his better judgement, Ashton holds Michael’s gaze through the first slow thrust and that ‘something’ that appeared in his stomach a while ago simmers hotly.

Michael lifts his hands to Ashton’s shoulders and bites his plump bottom lip in that seductive way that he has a habit of. His eyes drift shut as he wraps his legs around Ashton’s waist and uses the grip as leverage to push back against Ashton’s thrusts. “Mmmm, more...please, Ash...” he whimpers, his voice breaking slightly at the end of his sentence. Ashton obeys without thinking, pushing his cock the final few centimetres into the man beneath him until he bottoms out.

Maybe that’s another thing to add to his growing list of concerns; he’s the dominant one, he should be calling the shots. Before Ashton can think about it any further, he feels Michael clench slightly tighter around him, dragging his concentration back to the matter at hand.

“You good?” He asks, more out of habit rather than the actual need to know, because the look on Michael’s face and the way he’s digging his heels into Ashton’s ass cheeks is all the confirmation Ashton needs. Loosening his vice like grip around Ashton’s waist a little, Michael nods. “Yeah...” he groans, lifting his head to peck a kiss to Ashton’s lips. Ashton allows it but he turns it from a soft gesture to a lustful kiss by biting down on Michael’s lip hard enough to elicit a moan.

“Don’t get sappy with me, Clifford!” Ashton teases. “You like it hard and rough, remember?”

Michael throws his head back against the pillows and arches his back, a flush beginning to spread from his cheeks down to his chest; it’s undeniably the most beautiful sight Ashton has ever seen. His needy whimpers and soft, pale body kind of knock the air out of Ashton’s lungs; he just about manages to disguise his gasp for air as a throaty moan. “Yes!” Michael gasps. “Fuck me hard, Ash!”

Once again Ashton finds that he doesn’t need any further encouragement to follow Michael’s commands. He pulls back his hips as far as Michael’s (still pretty tight) grip around his waist allows before thrusting back in as hard as he can. Michael digs the tips of his fingers into Ashton’s shoulders and lets out a moan so loud that it drowns out Ashton’s completely. Ashton wants nothing more than for that sound to permanently fill his ears. In a desperate attempt to keep Michael moaning, Ashton speeds up his thrusts, making sure to slightly adjust his angle each time. Michael’s noises have never sounded sweeter to Ashton; the way they change with the rhythm and speed of his thrusts have him almost hypnotised.

He’s pretty lost in the moment until Michael breaks the string of beautiful moans and gasps with a loud “Oh FUCK! Ashton!” If it wasn’t for the broken way Michael yells it, and the fact that the cursing signifies that Ashton’s hunt for Michael’s prostate is over, he would have been a little upset by the loss of the moans. Instead it just lights an even bigger fire in him. Now he’s found the right spot to aim for, there’s no stopping Ashton. He pounds into Michael as hard and fast as he can. Michael becomes a sweaty, writhing mess beneath him within minutes, letting out a string of moans and curses that Ashton would listen to all night if he could.

Michael’s hands slide smoothly up Ashton's shoulders and neck until they’re resting on the side of Ashton’s face. He lifts his head to connect a kiss and Ashton’s much too intoxicated by him to stop it. He kisses Michael like his life depends on it, as he slows his thrusts but keeps them hard and rough enough to make Michael gasp into the kiss. Ashton swallows every hot little puff of air before moving his kisses down Michael’s neck. “Fuck, Ash... I’m so close...” The blonde moans, sliding his fingers into Ashton’s hair and tugging lightly. 

"Me too...” Ashton pants, and he's not lying. Ashton is so close to the high he’s been chasing but for the first time ever he almost doesn’t want to cum. He kinda wants make this last longer but the thought of what Michael’s orgasm face looks like is also appealing right now, so he reminds himself that it's extremely doubtful that this will be the last time he and Michael fuck. Maybe next time he’ll put the moves on Michael before they’re too drunk to go more than once...

“Need to cum, Ash...please, let me...” Michael whines into Ashton’s ear as he yanks his sandy locks in a particularly rough tug. Ashton lets out a low, guttural sound at almost being asked for permission. That’s definitely another thing to revisit next time Michael ends up in his bed. He’s so focused on keeping his own orgasm at bay that Ashton doesn’t have the capacity to answer verbally. He simply nods and speeds up his thrusts one last time. 

The moans that escape Michael are like music to Ashton’s ears and he finds himself wishing once again that he was a little more sober so that he could last longer and see what Michael could really do. Michael’s hands slip down Ashton’s neck and Ashton gasps as he digs his nails into the tanned skin of Ashton’s shoulders. “Fuck, Ashton...I’m...oh God! Yeah...please, oh, FUCK!” With the final gasped curse Michael tightens his grip on Ashton’s shoulder’s even more as he cums. Ashton finds himself mesmerised by Michael’s face; his eyes are tightly scrunched shut, but his mouth is slack and gaping around his throaty moans as he spills all over his own soft stomach. 

Ashton can feel the sticky warmth against his own toned torso and it’s the final straw, on top of Michael's beautiful face and the way the blonde clenches around his cock; it’s more than enough to push Ashton over the edge. He groans out a jumbled mixture of Michael’s name and various curses as he rides out the high. 

After a short moment, Ashton’s arms buckle with exhaustion and he collapses on top of the panting man beneath him. He’s not really surprised at how comfortable and ‘right’ it feels being this close to Michael and he sure as hell hasn't got the energy to read too much into it now. Ashton rests his head in the crook of Michael’s neck as he allows his breathing to regulate. Despite his aversion to anything too romantic when it comes to casual sex, he kind of welcomes the way Michael cautiously strokes Ashton’s hair. It’s comforting but he’s pretty sure that it has more to do with Michael’s clinginess than his desire to show Ashton any tenderness. That thought boils up a mix of emotions inside of Ashton which he knows he needs to explore, but now isn’t the time. He takes a deep breath and slowly lifts himself off of Michael.

Michael whines softly as Ashton pulls out. His hands drop from the Ashton’s hair and he leaves them lying loosely at his sides. Quiet little pants continue to escape Michael as Ashton disposes of the condom and disappears from the room briefly. By the time Ashton returns with a wet cloth and flops back down on the bed beside him, wordlessly offering him the cloth, Michael's breath is steady. His gaze at Ashton isn't. 

“That was...” he begins gingerly as he cleans himself up, but he seems unsure about how to finish his sentence. Ashton thinks he understands Michael’s hesitance. It didn’t seem right to announce how amazing their sex felt. They were supposed to be friends, scratching an itch - the sex wasn’t meant to be mind blowing or even that memorable because they were simply doing each other a favour. They hadn't started doing this because of an undeniable attraction, or because there had been sexual tension between them that they could no longer ignore. So the friend that he fucks for relief should definitely not rank highly in Ashton's list of sexual ventures. Yet here he is lying next to Michael, struggling to think of a time he’d ever felt this good. And the sex was fucking amazing, and Ashton had always been brought up to be grateful and send thank you cards. When it becomes clear that Michael is fighting the same internal battle as himself, Ashton lets out a simple but sincere and knowing “Yeah...it was.”

A tense moment passes during which the only sounds Ashton can hear are his own slowing breaths and the pounding of the blood in his ears. He’d usually bring these nights with Michael to a complete end with the new classic ‘shall I get you an Uber?’, but all of a sudden that seems entirely inappropriate and much too cold. There’s also the overwhelming realisation that he doesn’t want Michael to leave tonight. Ashton doesn’t want to admit it out loud but the thought of waking up next to Michael is the most appealing thing in the world right now. 

Michael shifts slightly beside Ashton and for a heart-stopping moment the older boy is sure Michael’s about to leave. Instead of sliding out of the bed as he usually does, however, Michael chucks the wash cloth onto the floor, reaches down to pull the duvet over his still naked body, and settles into the pillows. He eyes Ashton cautiously the whole time as though he’s expecting him to stop him and throw him out.

Part of Ashton wants to challenge him. He’s obviously far more comfortable than he should be, but Ashton would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that he wants to fall asleep with Michael’s warm body wrapped around him. But Ashton is nothing if not stubborn, and he refuses to fully expose his feelings to Michael. He offers him a half-assed smile before snuggling down into the covers.

There’s another long stretch of silence as the two friends fluff their pillows and fully settle into a comfortable sleeping position. A small yawn escapes Michael after a little while, breaking the silence. Ashton is powerless to stop himself repeating the sleepy gesture. He feels more relaxed and satisfied than he has done in a long time, and his heavy limbs and tired brain make it impossible for him to stay conscious. Sleep has almost taken him by the time he feels Michael squirm closer, sticking his fluffy head beneath Ashton’s arm until he’s draped over him, his slightly sweaty cheek resting on Ashton’s chest and a limp arm draped over his tanned waist. “Night, Ash...” Michael whispers softly into the dark.

Ashton’s hand subconsciously gravitates to Michael’s arm, which he strokes gently as he replies with a sleepy “g’night Clifford.”

When he wakes up the following morning, he doesn't remember stopping stroking before he fell asleep. Michael is gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Find us on tumblr [here](http://maluminspace.tumblr.com) and [here](http://mermaidcashton.tumblr.com)


End file.
